August 9..

August 7, 1974

On this day in this year I had driven all night like anything from Felton, California to Denver to meet one of the most beautiful women I had ever known: Linda Dobson.  Exhausted, I stopped outside of Laramie, Wyoming and barely made it to Stapleton Airport in Denver to meet her. Coming down the concourse, all in white with fur trim, long blonde hair.. perfect skin..and a glow that really pretty women seem to just have. Disheveled me there I was.. bleary eyed and rushing to meet her.

A little peeved that I'd not been at the gate with flowers, she handed me her bags and out to my old VW bus we went.   

I'd met Linda earlier at the Hyde Street Fair in San Francisco and through chuzpah that I did not know I had, we became friends.  We had few things in common passing my curiosity about her responsibility of being a beautiful woman.  We had exchanged glances and then, looks at the fair.. I don't know if I had designs on her or exactly what.. but.. she was in some sort of personal 'thing' and agreed to get away to Colorado with me. 

On August 9th, we were at my friend, Hayden's, home in Greeley when Richard Nixon came on the television special report to announce his resignation of the presidency.  I was over joyed! Linda, however, was devastated! I had not considered politics with her as I presumed that she, as a dancer and performer would share my joy.  Hayden, a staunch republican, was stoic.  But I was really happy.  

"They finally got him," Linda said sadly.. and went to the phone to commiserate with some conservative pal maybe in New Jersey!   It was clear that Linda and I were not a couple, though the fantasy was one that lingered.  

Later, we tried another tryst.. platonic.. and went to the San Diego Zoo.  As we approached the Monkey House.. or cages .. can't remember..  Linda straightened up.. well.. she always had great dance posture.. but she was even more erect as she declared, "I cannot believe that we descended from.. them!"  Again, I was shocked to hear such a thing from someone I'd rather put up on a pedestal! But. that was Linda.  We lost touch after that brief encounter.  I heard that she'd married someone on the east coast and had her perfect nose bobbed.  I wonder... 

But. today we recall Nixon's resignation and it is my fervent wish that the current president either be declared incompetent .. or that he realizes that he is not up to the task of this job and just disappears.  There ought to be six screenplays in the works about how this will happen.  Alien abduction would be my choice.  And, then, the aliens would see what a mess they'd gotten into! 

Forty three years gone by .. Nixon gone, thank goodness..  We have survived some really wonky times, but a mushroom cloud over Los Angeles is now not far from a reality and the guy in 'charge' has what appear to be real mental health issues. 

No one listens to me, but I do think that a national day of 'doing something' that can be seen from space to protest the loose canon in the White House would be a very good idea. 

Hold a good thought. 
michael sheehan
August 9, 2017